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Lots of jobs in South Korea - MYTH
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Getmeouttahere



Joined: 03 Jun 2010
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 1:37 am    Post subject: Lots of jobs in South Korea - MYTH Reply with quote

I've heard for ages now that there are loads of jobs for English teachers in Korea, but is it true?

I've been looking 6 months now for something in Seoul or Busan and found nothing. I have a TESOL qualification, a summer of teaching experience, I have had all my documents ready for 3 months and still no offers.

I'm flying to Japan in September and while I'm there I'm planning on going to Busan in search of work. This is a last resort. If it doesn't work, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. The trouble is, someone told me that I won't be able to get work this way as I'll have to be interviewed in the UK, so I'll have to come home again anyway - is this true?
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BoholDiver



Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 1:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you have never had a visa before, then it's true. Don't fly here until you have a job secured.

Yes, it's a crappy way to get started. Hope you get lucky and get a good job.

If you are limiting yourself to only Seoul and Busan, that's why you aren't getting any job offers. Consider a suburb.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:06 am    Post subject: Re: Lots of jobs in South Korea - MYTH Reply with quote

Getmeouttahere wrote:
I've heard for ages now that there are loads of jobs for English teachers in Korea, but is it true?

I've been looking 6 months now for something in Seoul or Busan and found nothing. I have a TESOL qualification, a summer of teaching experience, I have had all my documents ready for 3 months and still no offers.

I'm flying to Japan in September and while I'm there I'm planning on going to Busan in search of work. This is a last resort. If it doesn't work, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. The trouble is, someone told me that I won't be able to get work this way as I'll have to be interviewed in the UK, so I'll have to come home again anyway - is this true?


3 months and no offers.

under 30,
clean, professional photo (no body art or jewelry showing).
clean and correct cover letter + resume
degree, tesol cert and references

Even with your demand for a job in Seoul or Busan (to the exclusion of all others) I find it hard to believe that you got no offers at all.

Heck, I am well over 50, overweight and ugly and I still get offers sent to me (and I am not looking for work) asking me to come to work at different schools (hakwon and public).

I would strongly suggest that you get someone to have a critical look at your application package with an eye to fixing it up. It is not the free-for-all, wild-west type days like it was a few years ago where there were 10 jobs for every applicant but there is still no shortage of jobs available.

Demand for teachers still outstrips supply here and elsewhere.

.
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Junior



Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:18 am    Post subject: Re: Lots of jobs in South Korea - MYTH Reply with quote

Getmeouttahere wrote:
I'll have to be interviewed in the UK, so


Ah.
There is your problem.

Korea only hires americans if they can possibly help it. Up to even a year ago this was not really an issue as there was more demand than supply and people from NZ,Aus, SA, UK, Ireland etc could all find work here easily. 7 years ago even Poles and russians were here with the directors pretending they were americans to the parents.

But the current american economic meltdown has sent thousands of miguks here. Suddenly they are up to their eyeballs in blonde 20 yr old, inexperienced U.S. females- which to old male korean directors and principals, are the best teachers.
Nobody else is going to get a look in until the economy returns to normal I'm afraid. Sure, some older non-americans are still working here and (in a few cases) are being renewed.. out of convenience and habit. Or because the director already knows them personally and doesn't want the expense of paying a recruiter to find someone. But they're a dwindling minority.

If I were you I'd cross korea off your list and start looking at other destinations.
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Getmeouttahere



Joined: 03 Jun 2010
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just don't know what to think anymore. I've just re-posted my CV for the last time saying I'll work anywhere and with any age group. If I just get the usual crap from seriousteachers.com (about 50 applications and not one response) then I will give up and head down to Thailand or Cambodia to get something on the fly for no money.

Thanks anyway.
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sojusucks



Joined: 31 May 2008

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 3:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

OP, a great deal of the hiring in Korea is done solely based on the photo applicants provide to recruiters and schools. Should it be that way? No, but it is the reality of the sad state of the industry. Take a good look at your photo and remember it's not "just a pic"; it's a big part of "selling yourself" in Korea.
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Junior



Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 4:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sojusucks wrote:
Take a good look at your photo and remember it's not "just a pic"; it's a big part of "selling yourself" in Korea.


This is it. Your photo is a massive part of it.
Suit, tie. Smart haircut.

I always thought a smile was a good thing, but when I see the photos of korean teachers, none of them are smiling. They all look deadly serious. Maybe thats the way to go...

hmm. Maybe I'll get my picture re-done Smile
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Getmeouttahere



Joined: 03 Jun 2010
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 4:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks guys. I'll redo my pic just in case, although it is suited and I don't have any tats etc. I am smiling - maybe that's a problem.
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bcjinseoul



Joined: 13 Jan 2010
Location: Seoul, Korea

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 4:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The only easy jobs to get seem to be rural public schools out in the provinces and kindergartens in Gyeonggi-do these days. If you're willing to work 9-730 at Poly School or even a long shift afternoon hogwon like 2-10 or 3-11 at Avalon, then you probably can get a job in Busan or Seoul. As for the unis, after school programs, 2-8/3-9 hogwons, and I guess the public schools (SMOE, Gangnam public schools and individual Busan EPIK jobs)...good luck. I'm sure Kim & Joe, RBI, and the other big Busan recruiters must get a 100 resumes a day.

As for myself, I'm finishing my fourth year out, with no luck on the college job search this spring and early this summer. I also wasn't allowed to transfer to a different school and get away from a psychopath coteacher, didn't quite make the Gangnam public school cut, and SMOE doesn't give release letters so I can't pick up an after school job even. Honestly don't know if I want to do a 5th year starting in the off-season at some random GEPIK job or work 1-10 somewhere else in Gyeonggi for 2.1 a month, while I have to get more paperwork together than ever before for a visa in this competitive market which has now had a bad exchange rate for 2 years. I know a guy who didn't make the GEPIK cut last winter, even with a CELTA and a few years out here...guess they really are pushing for BAs in English and Education these days...and noobs
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djsmnc



Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 4:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think smiling is the problem, really. More important is just having a front profile pic with something decent on, particularly a shirt and tie. No funky stuff. I've been through resumes on serious teachers myself and the others there and I rejected a lot based on lousy/casual photos.
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Junior



Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bcjinseoul wrote:
guess they really are pushing for BAs in English and Education these days...


I have that. Also a celta and plenty experience. I'm not even overweight.

But I'm getting very few replies from the recruiters. One said it would be a problem to place me because I'm in the top pay bracket.

Other factor is...public school jobs used to be available at any time of year, because half of them lacked a NET and contracts began randomly.
At the moment though they seem to hire in mass-intakes which start in september. All of those positions have been filled already.
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PatrickGHBusan



Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are a lot of ESL-TEFL jobs in Korea.

However, the market has been FLOODED with applicants since the US economy crashed.

People should not confuse their personal situation (high quals for example) with market trends. Right now, experienced teachers need to use employment pathways that are not those used for massive entry-level placements. These are the province of most recruiters, if you apply through these and are experienced and qualified and therefore expect higher pay, you will likely lose out, especially for Public Schools as they hire assitant teachers.

The flooded market also means that certain positions get filled at certain times of the year (ex: University, PS) and do not employ people at other periods. If you miss the window of employment for these positions, you will have to look elsewhere.

All this means that for now, a person can not really decided to head to Korea on a whim at the last minute and expect near immediate placement. Things may take longer.

Now, if you are experienced and qualified and are already in Korea, you should not be using recruiters at all. By this time you should know where to look and how to apply. You should have a position lined up well before your contract is up. Relying on recruiters when you are in-country and experienced seems odd. I mean its now hard to network , visit a few schools, do some local research on jobs...what happens when you do that is that you avoid the congested entry-level employment pathways.

As a newbie, you need to be patient these days and to plan when you apply. Right now for example, you should be focusing on Hakwons and not putting muchy effort in applying with Public schools as the vast majority of these positions have long since been filled.
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bcjinseoul



Joined: 13 Jan 2010
Location: Seoul, Korea

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 6:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Junior wrote:
bcjinseoul wrote:
guess they really are pushing for BAs in English and Education these days...


I have that. Also a celta and plenty experience. I'm not even overweight.

But I'm getting very few replies from the recruiters. One said it would be a problem to place me because I'm in the top pay bracket.

Other factor is...public school jobs used to be available at any time of year, because half of them lacked a NET and contracts began randomly.
At the moment though they seem to hire in mass-intakes which start in september. All of those positions have been filled already.


I think Touch4Teaching, JJ Recruitment, Youni Korea, GMSC, and at least 1-2 others have a handful of GEPIK gigs that begin in October and November. If you check their individual sights, they have a list. They all have the standard 4 weeks off, and it's a big dice roll if you get more time off...these days, you probably won't. Those jobs are pretty much the same thing in different locations. As long as you have 2 letters of reference and all the docs you will PROBABLY get in...again, assuming you have the right BA and/or license/certificate.

On a lighter note, most vets I know use recruiters AND network. Nothing wrong with maximizing your leverage and options. Lots of noobs stick to eslcafe, but experienced teachers already here use other sites as well. They might fall back to the same loyal recruiter for one after school gig one year, and then a different one the following year...
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edwardcatflap



Joined: 22 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 6:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I've been through resumes on serious teachers myself and the others there and I rejected a lot based on lousy/casual photos.


I don't get this. Are you Korean or something? Or do you really think the best way to choose someone for a teaching job is from the way they look on their resume photo? Did you really have so many applications for your Korean public school job that you couldn't even look beyond the photo at what they'd actually done in their lives? Don't we guys in the West look down on Koreans for placing so much importance on appearance? or maybe North Americans think the same way? The last job I applied for was with a British company and I didn't even have to send a photo with the resume and application form. I got the job based on the paper work and a phone interview. I could have looked like the elephant man for all they knew but they didn't care, In fact they would have been happy to employ someone with a physical disability because they care about equal rights and are trying to eradicate prejudice

Isn't this the direction we should be trying to encourage the Koreans to move in? I know people will say you have to play the system but you can start small by just pointing out to those people you were selecting potential candidates with that appearance is maybe not as important as other qualities.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would like to add that the "correct" photos CAN also make a difference.

I applied for a position a few years back.
I met the criteria they asked for.
The recruiter set up the interview.
The interview went well and then the "BUT"...

But we think you may be too old and not fun for the kids.

Then I dropped a handful of pics of me doing "fun" things with kids.
Halloween costume party, Christmas party, dressed in hanbok and playing traditional Korean games with the students, participating on sports day...

Not only did I get the position, I was bumped up 100k above the original offer based on the fact that I was perceived to be a teacher who would get the kids involved in their "English education" and would make the parents happy - and this was public school position.

You can write what you want in your resume, sound as professional as you want at the interview and have all the preferred qualifications but a photo is still worth a thousand words - especially in a place like Korea (among many others in this world) where appearances do mean a lot.

There are still lots of jobs out there but with the additional numbers of applicants you have to consider the fact that there is additional competition for those jobs and employers are looking for something more than the "ordinary"

Market yourself and you will find the jobs.

.
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